Buckle.



A. E. CLARK.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1912.

1,985,796. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

ARTHUR E. CLARK, OF VILLARD, MINNESOTA.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application led April 1, 1912. Serial No. 687,918.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. CLARK, a citizenof the United States, residing at Villard, in the county of Pope andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBuckles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved buckle especiallyadapted for use on harnesses, and to this end, it consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claims.

rlhe improved buckle, as illustrated, is designed for use in connectinga harness tug to the hame strap, and is provided with a pair of tugengaging tongues, set one in advance of the other, thereby greatlyincreasing the strength of the tug.

The improved buckle is also so designed that a strap may be appliedthereto, or removed therefrom, without bending the strap, thereby makingit extremely easy to operate and, at the same time, avoiding crackingthe tug. Owing to the particular shape of the buckle., the attachedstraps can be considerably less in lengt-h than would be required if anordinary buckle were used.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvedbuckle, having attached thereto a portion of a harness; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line m2 m2 ofFig. l; Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing the improved bucklein an open position, with some parts broken away and some of the exposedparts shown in section; and Fig. '-1 is a detail view in transversesection, taken on the line fc4 x4 of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates the body portion of the improved buckle, which,as shown, is channel shaped in cross section. At their forward ends, theHang-es 2 are extended beyond the web portion of the body member 1, anda transversely extended hinge pin 3 is rigidly secured at its ends, tothe extended ends of the flanges 2. Extending rearwardly from the bodymember 1 and integrally formed therewith, is a pair of lugs et thatextend in the same plane with the side flanges '2, but project from theopposite side of the body member 1. A transversely extended pin 5 isrigidly secured, at its end, to the lugs 11. Pivotally mounted on thepin 5 for a limited swinging movement, is a U-shaped strap retainingloop 6.

Connected to the hinge pin 3 for a limited sliding movement and ahinge-like movement, is a tongue carrying member T, which is alsochannel shaped in cross section and is inverted with respect to the bodymember 1. The web portion of the member 7 is extended forwardly beyondthe side flanges 8, and is bent upon itself to form a longitudinallyextended loop 9 that loosely embraces the hinge pin 3 with freedom for alimited sliding movement and a hinge-like movement,

Integrally formed with the web portion of the member 7, is a pair ofstraight parallel tongues 10, that are spaced one in advance of theother. These tongues 10 extend between the side flanges 8 and arelocated intermediately therebetween. lVhen the tongue carrying member 7is in a closed position, its side flanges 8 loosely fit between theflanges 2 and rest upon the web portion of the body member 1. The sideflanges 8 support the tongue carrying member T above the body member 1to afford a strap passage 11. The tongues l0 are of'such length, when ina closed position, to extend through an alined pair of longitudinallyextended slots 12 cut in the web portion of the body member 1.

A pair of cam lugs 13 having lock flanges 14e are integrally formed, onthe inner face of each of the flanges 2. The look flanges 14 extendparallel to the flanges 2 and are spaced apart therefrom by means of thecam lugs 13. These lock flanges 14 also extend inward from the cam lugs13 and terminate at their inner edges in cam surfaces 15. On the outerface of each of the flanges 8, is integrally formed a pair of lugs 16,having cam shoulders 17 and lock flanges 18. rIhe lock flanges 18 extendparallel to the flanges 8 and are spaced apart therefrom by means of thelugs 16. These lock flanges 18 extend upward from the lugs 16 andterminate, at their upper edges, in cam surfaces 19. The lock flanges 14and the lock flanges 18, have interlocking engagement by a slidingmovement and hold the body member 1 and the tongue carrying member 7against lateral movements in respect to each other. The cam shoulders 17cooperate with the cam surfaces and the cam surfaces 19 coperate withthe cam lugs 13 to draw the t-ongue carrying member 7 onto the bodymember 1. In this position of the member 7 the tongues 10 are seated inthe slots 12.

Secured to the pin 5 by sewing or otherwise, is a hame strap Q0.Adjustably connected to the hame strap 20 by the improved buckle, is atup 21 having its inner end eX- tended through the strap passage 11, andprovided with a multiplicity of' longitudinally spaced holes 22, throughwhich the tongues 20 are adapted to project. On the outer faces of theside lianges 2, is rigidly secured a pair of oppositely projecting strapreceiving loops Q3. To one of the loops 23, is secured a back strap 24and to the other of said loops is secured a belly band 25.

To apply the tug 21 to the improved buckle, its inner end is firstpassed under the hinge pin 3 through the passage 1.1 and through theloop G. The tongue carrying member 7 is then swung downward on the hingepin 3 and the tongues 10, carried thereby, are passed through one of thesets of holes 22 formed in the tug 21. Then, by pulling on the tug 21 ina direction from the improved buckle, the tongue carrying member 7 isslid on the body member '1 and hinge pin 3 until stopped by the tongues10 engaging the outer end portion of the slots 12. At the limit of thesliding movement of' the member 7, the rear end of' the loop 9 isengaged by the hinge pin 3, the lock flanges la and 18 are interlocked,one with the other, the cam surfaces 19 brought into engagement with thecam lugs 13, and the cam surfaces 17 brought into engagement with thecam surfaces 15.

wWhat I claim is:

1. A buckle comprising a pair of' coperating channel shape membersinverted one in respect to the other and connected by a sliding hingejoint, the flanges of said members being interlapped and alfording astrap passage, a tongue secured to one of said members and projectinginto said strap pas sage, and laterally project-ing cooperating pairs ofcam lugs on said flanges, arrangei'l to draw said members toward eachother under the pulling stra-in ot' straps attached thereto.

A buckle comprising a pair of coperat ing channel shape members invertedone in respect to the other and connected by a sliding hinge joint, theflanges of said members being' interlapped and abi'diiig a strappassage, a tongue secured to one of' said members and projecting intosaid strap passage, and laterally projecting cooperating pairs of camlugs on said flanges, the members of each pair of cam lugs having bothlongitudinal and lateral interlocking engagement7 and arranged to drawsaid channel shape members toward each other under the pulling strain ofstraps attached thereto.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR E. CLARK.

Witnesses FRED. C. OTTO, D. W. SHEAR.

Copies o' this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

